When comparing tour operator software pricing, there are a few considerations you should keep in mind:
- Subscription Fees: Some online booking tools charge a flat monthly or annual subscription fee, others don’t — typically those that don’t tend to have higher booking fees.
- Booking Fees: You pay this fee as a percentage of the sale price whenever someone books with you, so for most tour companies, this usually ends up being a much larger monthly amount than the subscription fee. Some booking tools pass this fee to the customer. Brands like Bókun let you choose who covers booking fees, and offer perks to limit these costs, like free offline bookings and bookings from Viator.
- Transaction Fees: Transaction fees are applicable when software solutions provide and require you to use their payment processing services. You pay this fee every time someone makes an online transaction. Many brands, like Bókun, choose to partner with payment processors like Stripe or PayPal; in those cases, customers may pay a small transaction fee to the provider when making a purchase.
Some tour operator software brands also charge a one-time set-up fee; this is rare, but something to keep on your radar.
Our post covers pricing for ten tour and activity booking systems so you can read name by name and compare the top options. We’ll explain how pricing works for each solution, as pricing models can vary, and provide background so you know more about each brand’s typical user.
We’ll start with our solution: Bókun — we’re the most cost-effective tour operator software because we charge the lowest booking fees (1% to 1.5%) in the category. We’re a Tripadvisor brand with partnerships with leading online booking sites, like Viator, which saves you and your customers money.
Start a free 14-day trial (no credit card required) to explore our platform and see if Bókun is right for your business.
Note: We’ve confirmed these prices at the time of publishing (December 2023); prices are subject to change and some sites do not disclose details.
It’s also worth noting that Checkfront and Regiondo recently merged with Rezdy, and although they continue to operate independently at time of writing, we’ve heard reports that these brands are updating offerings and pricing to match Rezdy.
1. Bókun
The best value tour booking system — the lowest booking fees
Bókun is an online booking tool for tour and activity operators worldwide — our brand started in Iceland, but we’ve since expanded around the globe (we’re available in over 80 countries), and work with businesses of all sizes.
We’re owned by Tripadvisor and have partnerships with leading OTAs, including Viator, GetYourGuide, Civitatis, and Klook. Plus, we offer free bookings on Viator.
Here’s how pricing works:
Our charges start with a $49 monthly fee for our START subscription: this includes our core features , full access to the Marketplace and partner network , and our Website builder.
Our booking software includes:
- An easy-to-use custom website builder to bring your brand online; just select a template from our library and plug in the details. We’ll also cover a domain of your choosing. (If you already have a website, you can embed our booking widget to start accepting reservations.)
- Product management tools where you can list your tours and activities and track inventory across multiple channels. Note: We also integrate with Viator so you can instantly push Viator listings to Bókun, and we offer four free Viator product checks each month.
- Price management tools so you can control pricing per product. We allow you to set different rates for different sales channels or partners; you can also set price schedules to adjust pricing on specified date ranges.
- Channel management to sync with OTAs and manage all of your bookings in one hub. You can connect with dozens of channels to expand your online reach and hit customers around the globe. Plus, we offer 0% booking fees on reservations from Viator.
- Real-time availability management to update your calendar across connected channels and prevent overbookings.
- Bókun Marketplace, where you can connect with tour and activity providers around the globe to establish reseller partnerships: increase bookings by finding partners to promote your products, and receive commissions by booking other suppliers’ tours.
- Native CRM to store customer data, filter users by specific criteria, and remarket to your existing customer base.
- Automatic customer notifications, to send booking confirmations, share tickets and waivers, remind customers of upcoming tours, and follow up with attendees after they visit your business. You can also use these communications to share review links and request feedback.
- Reporting and analytics to monitor finances, reference past bookings, identify trends in your operations, and make data-driven business decisions.
You can also see a quick overview here:
We offer complementary support for our subscribers, but we design our platform so the navigation and features are easy to learn. In addition, our platform is highly scalable to help you expand your business and increase bookings.
If you choose not to upgrade to a Bókun subscription after the 14-day trial ends, you can work in our free limited plan to manage Viator and offline bookings.
Booking Fees
- 1% to 1.5% for online bookings — zero fees on reservations from Viator and offline bookings.
Transaction Fees
- Transaction fees vary depending on the payment provider you choose (Stripe, PayPal, Worldpay).
Takeaways
- We charge the lowest booking fees in the category — 1% to 1.5% — with free bookings from Viator.
- Bókun pays for itself, as tour and activity providers see an increased profit after moving to our platform. For example, suppliers who connect to the Marketplace report an average 20% increase in bookings within 6 months. For some customers, our widgets have grown online sales by 400%.
Get started in Bókun for free and learn more about our booking platform, partner network, and Marketplace.
2. Rezdy
Rezdy tour operator software is a popular solution for enterprise and global teams. The brand debuted in Australia, but they now work with businesses across dozens of countries. They’ve also merged with brands like Checkfront and Regiondo (more on these below) as they’ve grown larger.
Rezdy offers three packages:
- Foundation — $49/month — with the essentials to bring your business online. It includes the one-click website builder, online booking engine, channel management, schedule management, access to the reseller network, reporting, and mobile apps.
- Accelerate — $99/month — with all of Rezdy’s reservation management tools. This includes everything in Foundation with access to the advanced booking widget and extra features to upsell and retarget customers.
- Expansion — $249/month — that includes access to the developer API and webhooks. This plan also has the lowest booking fees.
Rezdy offers complementary support for all users, and they provide a 21-day trial to get started. After your trial ends, Rezdy requires you to upgrade to a package or you lose access to the platform.
Booking Fees
- Foundation: 2% for all online bookings, $1 for offline bookings.
- Accelerate: 1.9% for all online bookings, 85¢ for offline bookings.
- Expansion: 1.75% for all online bookings, 70¢ for offline bookings.
Note: Rezdy lets you connect with other online travel agencies (OTAs), but they do not have partnerships with other sales channels where they can offer free bookings. Rezdy users pay a fee for every reservation.
Transaction Fees
Rezdy does not disclose exact transaction fees for RezdyPay since they can vary — they typically range from 1.45–2.9% with a flat fee of 30¢ per transaction. Fees are higher for international transactions.
Rezdy also partners with over eight common payment providers.
3. Checkfront
Checkfront (merged with Rezdy) is a popular solution for tour operators in North America, and it primarily appeals to teams interested in fast online growth. The platform has over a hundred features — with toolsets to streamline operations, maximise available resources, and increase online bookings — so it’s usually best for teams with digital experience who want new ways to grow revenue.
Note: Since Checkfront and Regiondo merged with Rezdy, we’ve heard reports the brands are updating pricing to align with Rezdy. However, at the time of publishing, the Checkfront website still shows the usual rates.
Checkfront has three plans:
1. The free Starter plan , which allows for 100 bookings per year, one user seat, and one partner account.
- You also have access to the booking widget and integrations.
- It comes with free standard support via email and chat.
- Note: This plan requires you to use Checkfront payments, their native payment provider.
2. The Growth plan, which is their recommended package — with two pricing options.
- You can choose to pay a $125 yearly fee (this caps you at 1500 bookings per year and five user seats) or skip the subscription fee and pay 3% on every booking (this allows you unlimited bookings and user seats).
- This plan comes with all Checkfront features, full access to the partner network, and Stripe integrations (so you don’t have to use Checkfront payments).
- Checkfront offers priority support via email, chat, and phone.
3. Custom packages (Managed) for teams that need multi-location functionality and hands-on support. This package comes with a dedicated account manager, and Checkfront offers negotiable transaction fees in this plan.
Booking Fees
- 3% for all bookings.
- Negotiable fees for custom plans.
Transaction Fees
- 30¢ flat fee per transaction (when you use Checkfront payments).
4. Regiondo
Regiondo is an online reservation management system for tour operators in Europe (the platform is most popular in Italy and Germany). They work with tour and activity businesses, rental providers, hotels, museums, and other attractions, to increase bookings and revenue. Reviews suggest their typical customers are mid-size and growing businesses.
Regiondo offers two types of solutions: plans for suppliers and plans for resellers. Packages differ by features, number of user seats, and available languages. They also offer a website builder for an additional fee of €49/month.
Regiondo offers free support for all users, with additional onboarding services for users in Advanced or Enterprise plans.
Unfortunately, Regiondo does not disclose pricing for any of the available packages — you have to contact their team for a demo and custom quote.
Booking Fees
Regiondo does not disclose booking fees, but charges a flat ticket fee per booking:
- €0.49 in Starter plans.
- €0.49 in Advanced plans.
- €0.39 in Enterprise plans.
Transaction Fees
Regiondo does not disclose transaction fees.
Note: Like Checkfront, we’ve also heard reports of Regiondo updating their pricing to match Rezdy, but those changes are yet to be confirmed on their site.
5. FareHarbor
FareHarbor (owned by Booking.com) is a popular software because it appears free to use: they don’t charge subscription fees and booking fees are passed to the customer.
Fareharbor purportedly charge the highest reported booking fees (6%) — which can put additional pressure on price sensitive customers.
Suppliers who switch to a lower charging platforms like Bókun can overnight increase profits by 4.5%+ simply by saving on the booking fees.
Read more in our guide: 6 Best FareHarbor Alternatives: Comparison Guide
Booking Fees
- ~6% fee on all online bookings (we’ve heard it can be slightly higher or lower depending on business size).
Transaction Fees
- 1.9% processing fee + 30¢ per attendee.
Note: FareHarbor also partners with Stripe.
6. Peek Pro
Peek Pro is a tour operator software for businesses who want to increase their bottom line via remarketing strategies, add-ons and upsells, bundle deals, memberships, and other “perks.”
This booking management tool is typically popular for teams who already have an online presence and need unique ways to generate new revenue (say, they’re already booking out reservations and at max capacity). That said, they also advertise their solution to small teams who want to bring their business online.
Peek Pro doesn’t disclose pricing, so we’re only able to gather details from user reviews:
Peek Pro doesn’t charge subscription fees, but users report booking fees of up to 6%. In addition, some users mention a $199 one-time set-up fee. However, most reviewers still say it’s a good value for the money.
Booking Fees
- Not specified; we see various rates online — users note fees are passed to the customer.
Transaction Fees
- Not specified, but some users report a fee of 2.3% + 30¢ for credit card transactions.
7. Trekksoft
Trekksoft is a tour booking software for EU-based teams — it offers essential features (e.g., website builder, online booking engine, channel management, reseller network, back-office reporting tools) to grow your business online. They have packages for all business sizes.
The Commission Model costs €0 and includes the booking engine, channel and resource management, limited access to the partner network, and the integrated payment gateway. This package requires a 12-month commitment, and Trekksoft charges a €799 one-time set-up fee for this plan. Users also pay the highest booking fees in this plan.
Accelerate , Trekksoft’s recommended plan , costs €140 per month; this includes access to all Trekksoft features and the entire reseller network. You enjoy lower booking fees by opting for the paid plan.
Ultimate , the top-tier plan, costs €234 per month, and includes additional business intelligence tools to create a sales network and increase bookings. This plan also provides access to the developer API.
Trekksoft also offers custom packages for enterprise companies, and annual plans (at a discount).
Booking Fees
- Commission Model: 5% for direct online bookings, 3% on bookings from OTAs, and a €0.55 fee per offline booking.
- Accelerate: 2.5% for direct online bookings, 2.5% on bookings from OTAs, and a €0.55 fee per offline booking.
- Ultimate: 2% for direct online bookings, 2% on bookings from OTAs, and a €0.55 fee per offline booking.
Transaction Fees
- 2.5% + €0.25 flat fee per transaction (for all packages).
8. Xola
Xola is an online booking solution for businesses across the leisure industry; they work with small tour operators and large-scale attractions.
Teams like Xola because it doubles as a marketing solution: you can retarget customers who abandon checkout, offer bundles and upsells, and sell memberships and vouchers.
They also have unique features to increase revenue, like dynamic surge pricing and a scheduling tool that’ll automatically create new event slots during popular times. With all of that, Xola is typically suited for teams who are already established online and ready to explore growth strategies.
- Xola does not charge subscription fees or fees to connect with OTAs.
- They offer complimentary set-up and onboarding services, and free 24/7 customer support.
- Xola charges a variable booking fee for every reservation, and this fee is passed to the customer. Some users say this fee can be rather high (3–6%).
Booking Fees
- Vary per transaction, passed to the customer.
Transaction Fees
- 1.9% + 30¢ fee per transaction — fees vary for international transactions.
9. TRYTN
TRYTN is an online booking software and reservation system for small and growing businesses, but they also offer custom plans for larger teams with multiple locations. This solution is unique in that they offer custom website development services; they can create a fully-tailored site, designed to your specifications and optimised for SEO, with custom navigation, modules, and booking widgets.
TRYTN’s web development services make them a more expensive option, as these projects can cost thousands, but the plus side is that these fees aren’t usually recurring, and the end result is a high-quality website.
TRYTN doesn’t share information about pricing — they provide custom quotes on a per customer basis. Users report the solution falls on the costly side: aside from initial website development fees, TRYTN booking fees are reported to be as high as 5%.
Booking Fees
- 5% booking fees for all online reservations — business owners can cover these or pass them to the customer.
- Free TripAdvisor, Viator, and GetYourGuide bookings.
Transaction Fees
- 1% for payments processed in TRYTN.
10. Bookeo
Bookeo offers a booking system for tour and activity operators, attractions, schools, gyms, health and wellness studios, salons, and service providers — you can use their solution for appointment scheduling; booking classes, courses, and workshops; managing tour reservations. They work with a variety of industries and have packages for all business sizes.
When we narrow in on the Tours & Activities packages, Bookeo has three options:
- Standard plan — $39.95/month — allows for 20 products, 20 staff logins, and 1,000 bookings per month.
- Large plan — $79.95/month — allows for 40 products, 40 staff logins, and 2,000 bookings per month.
- X-large plan — $199.95/month — allows for 60 products, 60 staff logins, and 3,000 bookings per month.
They also offer custom plans for global or multi-franchise companies.
All packages come with full feature access and Bookeo customer support. They also have optional set-up and onboarding services (for an additional cost).
Note: Bookeo offers standard features like a website builder, connections with OTAs, and a customisable dashboard to manage bookings. They also have a few extras to upsell customers. However, this platform is somewhat basic in comparison to alternative tour operator software, and most notably, they do not include a partner or reseller network to grow revenue.
Booking Fees
- None, you pay a set subscription cost.
Transaction Fees
- None
What’s the best bang for your buck?
Before we wrap up, here are a few important takeaways to consider as you shop:
- It’s apparent why some tour operators want to avoid software with subscription fees; however, the tradeoff is usually high booking fees. It’s important to consider how booking fees can impact you in the short and long term — costs add up, and many teams find subscription-based models make the most sense for their business.
- Some brands pass booking fees to the customer (brands like Bókun give you an option) so they can remain “free” for tour operators. However, you have to think about how these fees impact the customer’s booking experience. If you operate in an area where people can’t afford to pay (or simply don’t want to pay) these fees, they can hurt booking conversion rates. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Subscription fees, booking fees, and transaction fees all play a role in overall pricing; remember to consider how each piece fits in the puzzle.
- Variable booking fees are risky — if websites do not disclose pricing or mention fees can vary, you should dig into those details. What impacts booking fees? Do they cap these fees? Otherwise, you may be hit with surprise bills.
- Some brands offer (require) annual contracts, so be sure to understand the terms of your commitment before signing the dotted line.
Bókun is considered the most cost-effective online booking solution in countless customer reviews. Our platform has the same advanced features as top-rated competitors, but we charge a low subscription cost and the lowest booking fees in the category (thanks to our partnerships with Viator and many leading OTAs). You never pay for support, and our team is available to help whenever needed.
Get started in our platform for free — we offer a 14-day trial so you can begin building your website, browse our Marketplace, and explore the reservation management dashboard.
Want to learn more about top-rated tour operator software? Check out our guide: Best Tour Operator Software: Bókun + 6 Runner Ups